PHILIPSBURG: The Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI), Mr. Patrice Gumbs, met with participants who bid on the solid waste tender to discuss the evaluation process and next steps. The meeting followed from questions raised by the bidders after receiving results from the Mercell tender software. The Minister used the opportunity to address those questions directly and to explain how the process will move forward. As stated in the Terms of Reference, “the highest-ranked compliant Bidder shall be identified as the potential contractor. Before award, the contractor must sign an indemnification form and substantiate the availability of required equipment in accordance with Article 20. Failure to do so shall trigger reallocation procedures under Article 6.8.

The Minister confirmed that the evaluation process reviews each parcel individually. It does not consider how many parcels each bidder applied for. As such, if one company bids on all six parcels, it can be the highest-ranked compliant bidder on all six parcels. The tender allows for an allocation of a maximum of two parcels. The bidder is then invited to a meeting to discuss what two parcels they could feasibly manage. This is known as the indemnification meeting. This meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, November 6^th 2026. Finally, a verification meeting will be called to establish that all equipment is available. This step was added to the tender following the outcome of the 2021-2026 tender, in which companies awarded contracts did not have all the necessary equipment.

Participants used the meeting to ask the Minister questions about the software platform and the scoring system used by the evaluation committee. The Minister will confirm how bidders will receive feedback on their submissions. Gumbs shared during the meeting that while he will allow the evaluation committee to share specifics with bidders, he received signals that points were lost because bidders included incorrect information in their submissions. “We promised transparency, and we intend to keep that promise,” Minister Gumbs said. “If any part of this process raises concerns, we will continue to do our part to inform the bidders and the public about the current status, the next steps, and any implications arising from the process.”

The Ministry is working diligently and in good faith to ensure the process is carried out properly and brought to a successful conclusion. The Minister asks participants and the wider public to allow the evaluation team to complete its work.

The Ministry will continue to provide updates as the process advances.

PHILIPSBURG:---  Member of Parliament Dimar Labega has urged the government to urgently address an outstanding payment to a company that, he said, paused other work to repair damage at the Receiver’s Office after vandalism in March.

Speaking during the notifications segment of a parliamentary meeting, Labega said the business had waited eight months for payment without receiving adequate information on when its bill would be settled.

“That was eight months ago, eight months ago,” Labega emphasized.

According to the MP, the government approached the company directly after the Receiver’s Office was vandalized and asked for help repairing the damage. The business responded by setting aside its other commitments for three or four days to complete the requested work.

“When the government needed this company, they dropped everything they were doing for three or four days,” Labega told Parliament. “They came, made sure the government was properly taken care of as requested, and now they’re not receiving any response.”

Labega said the company had contacted him over the past few months because it had neither received payment nor adequate correspondence explaining when payment could be expected.

His intervention highlighted both the lengthy wait and the difficulty the company had encountered in obtaining a clear response after answering the government’s call for assistance.

“I believe that eight months is quite a long time,” he said.

Labega acknowledged that the government had been undergoing changes involving its payment systems. However, he urged the government to urgently investigate the outstanding payment.

“I know the government has been undergoing various payment system transfers, et cetera, but I would like the government to urgently look into this,” he stated.

The MP did not identify the company, disclose the amount outstanding, or specify which department was responsible for processing the payment. His remarks did not establish whether the system changes he referenced had caused the delay.

Labega raised the matter in the presence of the Prime Minister and support staff. The supplied excerpt contains no government response to his request or commitment to a payment date.

“So I would like for this to be looked into,” Labega concluded.

Prime Minister says SOL meeting produced no immediate bill reduction, transfers GEBE coordination to VROMI and promises documents as MPs demand deadlines and explanations.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina confirmed that an agreement signed on November 4 provides for three new GEBE generators, each with a capacity of 9.3 megawatts, while acknowledging that his meeting with fuel supplier SOL produced neither an immediate reduction in electricity bills nor an agreed relief program.

Responding to MPs during the November 6 continuation of the 2027 draft budget debate, Mercelina defended the government’s handling of the electricity crisis, outlined recruitment and legislative initiatives, and announced that VROMI Minister Patrice Gumbs Jr. would serve as the Council of Ministers’ point of contact for GEBE going forward.

However, several responses prompted further questions. MPs pressed for the generator specifications and financial implications, the status of GEBE’s disconnection policy, a decision on a shareholder-initiated inquiry, a legislative timetable and a solution to the stalled appointments affecting the Social Economic Council, known as the SER.

Mercelina also could not provide a definitive completion date for firefighters’ placement or a final figure for the resulting retroactive payments.

At the end of the clarification round, the Prime Minister said several questions required additional research and offered to return or provide written answers. Objections were raised to dealing with the outstanding matters solely in writing, and the proceedings moved toward another minister’s responses without settling those substantive questions in the exchange.

Three generators confirmed after financing changes

Mercelina rejected the premise that St. Maarten would receive only two generators instead of three.

Responding to MP Darryl York, he said the original financing of 42 million had become insufficient because of rising costs, but GEBE had secured the additional 28 million required to move the project forward.

“The financing arrangement has changed, but the commitment has not,” Mercelina said. “St. Martin will receive all three generators.”

York subsequently acknowledged that his earlier assertion about two generators was incorrect and apologized, explaining that conflicting media reports had caused the confusion.

Mercelina described the November 4 signing as a significant step toward a more reliable electricity supply. He said he had coordinated the government’s response from the initial stabilization effort through the signing of the agreement.

Nevertheless, questions about the equipment and its impact on customers remained.

MP Francisco Lacroes requested the specifications, clarification of the fuels the generators could use, and an assessment of what the investment would cost consumers. He also asked about an earlier motion concerning liquefied natural gas and the status of the associated study.

Lacroes further questioned how a proposed fuel-cost cap could work without fuel hedging and additional storage capacity. MP Sarah Wescot-Williams supported the request for clarification and asked how such a cap would relate to the RAC/BTP report.

VROMI becomes GEBE point of contact

Mercelina said the Council of Ministers had formalized a request from the VROMI Minister to resume the role of GEBE point of contact through a decision dated October 29.

He distinguished that decision from his own continuing involvement through the November 4 signing.

Going forward, he said, the VROMI Minister would answer GEBE-related questions.

That announcement immediately raised questions about accountability for pending matters.

Wescot-Williams asked whether she should now direct questions about implementation of the RAC/BTP recommendations to the VROMI Minister, including matters raised in correspondence already sent to the Prime Minister and TEATT Minister.

Mercelina committed to providing Parliament with the agreement between government and GEBE, together with the relevant national decree. He said he had instructed the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers to send the documents.

SOL meeting produced options, not immediate relief

In one of his clearest distinctions between discussion and delivery, Mercelina said the meeting with SOL, the Finance Minister and coalition and opposition MPs had clarified fuel-cost drivers and identified options for further assessment.

“No agreement on those options or immediate reduction in electricity bills resulted,” he said.

Addressing whether TEATT Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten had supported the engagement, Mercelina said she had been invited and that the Council of Ministers had been informed.

However, he expressly distinguished collective awareness from separate ministerial approval.

He also said the options discussed could not be presented as an agreed program between ministers.

According to Mercelina, the meeting neither replaced the ongoing BTP supervisory review nor prejudged its findings. Any measures would have to proceed through the responsible authorities and established procedures.

Responding separately to MP Egbert Jurendy Doran, Mercelina denied having said the fuel clause was linked to SOL rather than GEBE. His explanation was that it was primarily linked to the cost of fuel supplied by SOL to GEBE.

In response to a question from MP Veronica Jansen-Webster, he said fuel used to produce electricity was exempt from turnover tax.

Disconnection policy and inquiry questions remain

MP Sjamira Roseburg said several of her GEBE questions remained unanswered.

She recalled earlier assurances that a disconnection policy was close to completion and asked why vulnerable customers, including seniors and people with medical needs, were still facing disconnection.

Roseburg again offered a draft policy to help advance the process and sought a clear statement of the policy’s status.

York also requested an official answer on whether a completed policy existed and, if not, the authority under which disconnections were taking place. His questions did not establish that any particular disconnection was unlawful.

Roseburg further pressed the Council of Ministers on its position on an inquiry procedure that the shareholder could initiate.

She referred to her May request and an August 5 response indicating that the procedure would not be started then. She argued that the government should reconsider rather than wait for intervention by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Those questions remained among the matters requiring further answers in the supplied proceedings.

Mercelina defended GEBE’s existing governance structure, saying the utility already had significant autonomy when it followed corporate governance procedures.

York then asked whether the shareholder could prevent management from making a significant investment. Wescot-Williams separately requested an update on government-wide corporate governance work and protocols involving government-owned companies.

Firefighters still without a firm placement deadline

Responding to MPs Omar Ottley and Francisco Lacroes, Mercelina said the firefighters’ placement process remained underway, with the first batch of placement letters under review.

He attributed delays to staffing shortages in Personnel and Organization (P&O) and medical leave affecting key personnel.

The Prime Minister said the government was working with the union, Fire Department management and the negotiation team to ensure that individual placements and calculations were accurate and legally sound.

However, he could not give a definitive completion date or confirm that the process would be completed before the end of 2026.

He said the exact number of employees entitled to retroactive payment and the total financial liability would only be known once placement and verification were completed.

Mercelina confirmed that the 2027 budget funded 16 vacant Fire Department positions. No final amount had been reserved exclusively for retroactive payments, although he said budgetary flexibility existed to address the obligations once determined.

On the April 9 agreement with firefighters’ representatives, he reported progress on placement reviews, terms of reference for a benchmark study, and efforts concerning insurance, psychological support, equipment and facilities.

Placement and promotion matters remained unfinished. Life insurance was still under discussion and research, he said.

The most recent broader negotiating meeting had taken place on October 13.

Low salary scales: Prime Minister points to union consultations

MP Lyndon Lewis questioned why some employees providing essential government services were paid so little.

Mercelina said he had submitted a proposal approximately a year earlier to improve remuneration in salary scales one through four and had repeatedly reminded the unions.

He said he was awaiting their response so the process could advance within the government’s financial framework.

Lewis welcomed that information but challenged the continued publication of an internal kitchen-assistant vacancy advertising a salary range beginning at approximately 1,600 and extending to 2,819 guilders.

He urged the Prime Minister to keep pressing the issue and communicate more clearly with employees about the steps being taken.

Mercelina’s response did not establish an implementation date for the proposed salary adjustments.

SER appointments depend on outstanding nominations

The Prime Minister defended an additional 50,000 Caribbean guilders proposed for the SER in 2027, saying increasingly complex parliamentary legislative initiatives required specialist legal research and, where necessary, external expertise.

He said the secretariat had continued working, while acknowledging an interruption in the board’s functioning and the need to restore full advisory capacity.

Mercelina maintained that the government had completed its part of the nomination process for independent members and substitutes. He said outstanding nominations from employer and employee organizations were preventing completion of the board.

“If it was solely in my hands, this would have been resolved many months ago,” he told Parliament.

He said employee organizations had recently committed to providing required representation information and legally compliant nominations within two weeks. Similar requests had been made to employer organizations.

That was not a firm date for restoration of the board: Mercelina said completion remained dependent on receiving and assessing the submissions.

Wescot-Williams asked whether the government would support amending the SER law to provide a temporary solution when nominations stalled. She said she already had a draft amendment.

Roseburg likewise questioned how long legislation could remain waiting and whether the law should provide another route after a specified period.

Legislative agenda remains under preparation

Responding to Roseburg, Mercelina said all ministries had been asked to identify their 2027 legislative priorities and report the status of draft laws.

General Affairs would consolidate the submissions into a government-wide agenda for the Council of Ministers to consider and formally adopt.

He promised to share the adopted agenda once that process was completed.

Roseburg was dissatisfied with another process-based answer. She requested the list during the budget proceedings or a clear deadline for receiving it, noting that ministers were already describing laws and timelines in their presentations.

On screening legislation, Mercelina provided a more specific schedule.

He expected a draft to reach the Department of Legal Affairs and Legislation for review in the first quarter of 2027, followed by consideration by the Council of Ministers and Council of Advice.

If that process proceeded as anticipated, he expected to submit it to Parliament during the second half of 2027.

Dutch-funded legal pool to support local departments

Mercelina said a proposed pool of legal experts would provide temporary additional capacity for legislative drafting, legal review, procurement, contracts, compliance and other advisory work.

The experts would be recruited through the TWO and financed by the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, BZK, under the country package.

He stressed that St. Maarten would retain control of its priorities and legal processes, with the local legal department remaining the central coordinator and quality reviewer.

The objective, he said, was to strengthen capacity, transfer knowledge and reduce reliance on separate external consultants hired project by project.

Wescot-Williams requested a more precise explanation of how ministries’ legislative priorities would be matched to the pool and how assignments would operate.

Roads and tender questions referred to VROMI

Mercelina repeatedly referred questions concerning roads, permit publication and tender disqualifications to the VROMI Minister.

On a question about a permit reportedly published only one day before the objection period ended, he said that should not happen if the circumstances were as described. He did not establish that the account was factually or legally correct.

On tender participants allegedly disqualified for failing to initial supporting official documents, Mercelina said he lacked the necessary case details.

Legal Affairs would need the tender documents, applicable procedure and related information before advising, he said.

He also said VROMI had not asked the department to advise on that specific matter.

Asked to assess road progress as the country’s leader, Mercelina again deferred to the minister responsible, saying VROMI had to determine and explain its priorities.

On the dangerous damaged area at the Marie Genevieve de Weever School, he said he had immediately asked the ECYS Minister to address the situation once informed.

Projects can proceed without a new 2026 capital loan

Mercelina told Jansen-Webster that the absence of a new capital loan for 2026 did not mean all projects had to stop.

He identified existing budget resources, previously approved capital funding, the Trust Fund and TWO-supported programs as possible financing sources.

Within General Affairs, he cited Fire Department equipment, replacement of the passport storage system, blank cards for Civil Registry, cybersecurity, digital transformation and ICT modernization.

He emphasized that implementation also depended on project plans, procurement readiness and personnel.

For 2027, General Affairs had budgeted one new capital project: acquiring a government-owned administrative facility to reduce recurring office-rental expenditure.

Preparatory work was being undertaken through the country-package accommodation program, he said.

Mercelina also promised Parliament the current government administration building contract, noting that discussions were underway to revise it.

Recruitment support and digital safeguards

Mercelina said 20 staff members had been hired with P&O support during 2026, although many recruitment processes began before that year’s budget was approved.

He cautioned that P&O’s involvement did not mean every appointment had completed all subsequent administrative and signatory stages.

He reported that a new local section head would start shortly, a recruitment specialist was being engaged, and preparations were underway for an external agency to support government-wide recruitment.

He expected the remaining jubilee-benefit backlog to be cleared by early 2027.

On digital government, Mercelina acknowledged that the 2027 budget included no dedicated data protection officer position.

He said responsibilities were reflected in draft legislation and could be supported through existing staff and specialized external assistance. He maintained that this would not delay digital services and promised assessments and safeguards before new services were launched.

Reform costs, consultants and oversight information

Responding to Lewis on country-package reforms, Mercelina said the measures would support institutional strengthening, better services, and updated policies and legislation.

However, their ongoing operating costs would have to be determined measure by measure. He did not provide a consolidated estimate of the long-term cost to government.

He promised to request information from the World Bank on spending associated with studies and reports and share the response with Parliament.

On consultancy services, he identified budget categories 413 and 416 and described anticipated General Affairs support for facility services, P&O and the staff bureau. His oral response did not provide the requested ministry-by-ministry cost breakdown.

Doran’s questions about conflicts of interest within oversight and advisory institutions had been forwarded to the institutions themselves. Mercelina promised to provide their guidelines once received.

On Dutch assistance requested in December 2025 for police-station conditions, Mercelina said there had been “no positive feedback.” Roseburg asked whether that meant an actual refusal or no substantive answer.

Regarding the separate parliamentary integrity discussion, Mercelina said he had already appeared to answer questions and had received a visit from the Integrity Chamber. York asked whether the parliamentary meeting had actually concluded or remained adjourned between rounds.

Regional cooperation supported, but no timetable

Mercelina affirmed the government’s interest in regional cooperation and possible future CARICOM associate membership.

However, he argued that St. Maarten first needed clearer national objectives, including in education and healthcare, to ensure meaningful participation.

He estimated annual membership costs at 300,000 to 500,000 guilders, correcting himself after initially referring to dollars.

Wescot-Williams requested a step-by-step timetable rather than another general statement of support. She also asked whether engagement with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States was on the government’s agenda.

The Prime Minister’s responses established several commitments to provide documents and information. But the clarification round also left Parliament seeking firm dates, completed policies and clearer responsibility for decisions affecting electricity customers, firefighters, public servants and the government’s legislative program.

TEATT Minister says transaction-tax discussions have not produced an agreed tax-reduction plan, targets a 2027 start for Philipsburg improvements and acknowledges staffing constraints affecting business licenses and inspections.

PHILIPSBURG:---  Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication Grisha Heyliger-Marten outlined an ambitious restructuring of the country’s revenue system during the 2027 draft budget debate, while acknowledging that discussions with the Finance Ministry had not yet produced an agreed plan to reduce existing taxes.

Answering MPs on November 6, the minister confirmed that a joint TEATT–Finance task force was assessing a proposed financial transaction tax. She also promised to publish the updated basket of goods in the coming days, defended scrutiny of the fuel supply chain, and identified the second to third quarters of 2027 as the intended start of phased improvements to Philipsburg.

Her responses also revealed practical constraints: only two employees were assigned to processing business licenses, four of six economic controller positions were filled, and structural transportation reforms would not all be completed before the approaching tourism season.

At the center of her presentation was a recurring argument: the benefits of tourism and economic activity must reach residents, while a broader range of people and businesses benefiting from the island should help finance it.

Transaction tax under assessment, not an adopted replacement

Responding to MP Dimar Labega, Heyliger-Marten confirmed that the financial transaction tax concept had been formally presented and discussed with the Ministry of Finance.

Those discussions resulted in a joint task force to examine feasibility, economic impact, and its potential as an alternative to some existing taxes.

The minister described a vision that could include eliminating turnover tax and income tax, substantially reducing or potentially eliminating profit tax, and replacing those revenues through a broader system.

She identified the proposed transaction tax, tourism levies, modernized accommodation taxes, maritime fees and targeted excise or “sin” taxes as measures for examination.

However, she stressed that economic modeling and assessments were necessary before policy decisions.

Later, answering MP Veronica Jansen-Webster on whether tourism growth could translate into direct tax relief, the minister explicitly qualified the status of the discussions.

“I would not present those preliminary discussions as an agreed plan to reduce taxes,” she said.

The distinction matters: the minister’s preferred direction has not become a settled government program specifying which taxes would disappear, what would replace them, or when residents would receive relief.

Tourist-tax delay remains without a firm timetable

Labega asked what was holding up tourist-tax legislation and whether it was a priority for both TEATT and the Council of Ministers.

Heyliger-Marten said modernizing tourism legislation was a priority for her ministry and should be one for the Council as well.

She argued that a country with approximately 45,000 residents, but millions of annual visitor movements, could not continue placing the principal financial burden of sustaining its economy on residents and local businesses.

“The principle is simple. Cast a wider net,” she said.

However, she referred to the relevant ministry for confirmation of the outstanding legislative steps and current status. Her answer did not identify a completion date or a specific timetable for bringing the measure forward.

Updated basket of goods promised within days

Responding to MP Egbert Jurendy Doran, the minister said the updated basket of goods had taken longer than planned but would be published in the coming days.

Retailers and wholesalers would receive one week’s notice to make the necessary adjustments, she said.

She distinguished the basket of goods from the hurricane price list, explaining that the latter served emergency circumstances rather than everyday price management.

The updated measures would operate alongside a study examining the price structure and supply chain of approximately 40 essential consumer products.

That study would follow products from their purchase price at source to their final supermarket shelf price.

Heyliger-Marten supported Jansen-Webster’s suggestion to examine supplies from South America and the wider Caribbean rather than concentrating exclusively on traditional imports from the United States and Europe.

However, she cautioned that lower purchase prices abroad would not automatically produce lower prices locally. Transportation, supply reliability, and product quality would also have to be assessed.

The stated objective was to combine updated price measures with practical opportunities for improved affordability, including during the holiday period.

Port fee reduction would offer limited electricity relief, minister says

Doran asked whether reducing the port’s fuel throughput fee could lower electricity costs.

Heyliger-Marten said yes, but argued the potential savings had to be put in context.

According to the figures she presented, GEBE spends about US$7.5 million a month on fuel, of which roughly US$100,000 is the port throughput fee—about 1.3%.

Using a household consuming 1,000 kilowatt-hours monthly as an illustration, she estimated that completely eliminating the fee would save approximately 6.20 guilders, or US$3.44, per month, assuming the entire saving reached the customer.

Those were estimates from the minister, not a confirmed tariff adjustment.

She argued that removing the port fee alone would not provide the level of relief residents were seeking.

“We cannot continue focusing on the port’s relatively small fee while leaving the much larger fuel supply arrangements without the same level of scrutiny,” she said.

She called for examination of charges and markups within the wider fuel supply chain, including whether they were fair, reasonable and justified.

BTP review and alternatives to supplier dependence

Heyliger-Marten said BTP’s examination of fuel pricing was intended to establish greater transparency about costs passed to GEBE.

She argued that a dominant supplier faced limited competitive pressure to reduce prices and that the government needed to examine the entire arrangement.

Her stated objectives included encouraging competition and exploring whether GEBE could eventually develop its own fuel storage and procurement arrangements.

These remained matters for examination; she did not announce that independent storage or procurement facilities had been approved or financed.

The minister defended the time devoted to the exercise, saying she would not have been equipped to give the same explanation a year earlier.

Using a colloquial appeal for time to complete the work, she told Parliament: “Let me cook.”

Utility tariff review considers small businesses and vulnerable groups

Doran also proposed differentiating utility charges between large and small commercial users.

Heyliger-Marten said BTP was examining how electricity and water tariff structures could better reflect the needs of different consumers, including seniors, farmers and small businesses.

However, she cautioned that a system based on business turnover would pose practical difficulties because GEBE is not a tax authority and does not have direct access to companies’ financial information.

She identified connection capacity, measured in kilovolt-amperes, as one existing technical factor differentiating electricity consumers.

The review would examine whether classifications could be refined using objective and transparent criteria. Her response did not announce a new preferential tariff or an implementation date.

Philipsburg redevelopment targeted for 2027

Responding to MP Lyndon Lewis’s comments about the architectural images presented during the debate, Heyliger-Marten said the proposals were intended to become more than attractive drawings.

The Philipsburg development master plan envisioned landscaped streets, improved building facades and lighting, public squares and revitalized alleys connecting Front Street, Back Street and the Boardwalk.

She also described cultural performances, music, outdoor cafes, local artisans and attractions designed to encourage visitors to spend more time—and money—in the capital.

The ambition was to expand Philipsburg beyond a predominantly daytime shopping destination into an evening destination for culture, dining and entertainment.

Parking, she acknowledged, would be necessary to support that transformation.

The minister said implementation was intended to begin between the second and third quarters of 2027, using a phased approach and scheduling construction during the slower season to limit disruption.

She did not provide a complete construction schedule or funding breakdown in this response.

On the marketplace, she confirmed to MP Omar Ottley that the project was slated to be a one-story building.

Traffic measures are underway, but structural reforms will take longer

Heyliger-Marten acknowledged that traffic congestion was a serious concern heading into the tourism season.

She distinguished TEATT’s responsibility for organizing and regulating transportation from responsibility for road construction and traffic enforcement.

Her ministry’s work included verifying transportation permits, identifying inactive operators and updating the sector’s database.

She also referred to efforts to re-establish the Public Transportation Committee after more than a decade of inactivity, although her remarks did not unequivocally confirm that the process had been completed.

In June, she said, she instructed Port St. Maarten to prepare a comprehensive traffic and passenger-flow management plan, particularly for busy cruise days.

The ministry’s mobility request-for-information evaluation was nearing completion, with the final committee evaluation scheduled for the following week.

She also reported discussions with VROMI and KPSM concerning ATV tours, bus stops, public transportation, road safety and accidents disrupting traffic.

However, she acknowledged that the structural reforms would not all be ready before the approaching season.

Immediate cooperation with VROMI, Justice and KPSM would therefore focus on practical traffic-management measures while longer-term solutions advanced.

Alternative transport, including possibilities relevant to future homeporting, remained under consideration rather than an announced operational service.

Business licensing depends on two processing employees

Responding to questions about licensing delays, Heyliger-Marten said two employees were assigned to processing business licenses after preliminary front-office work.

She acknowledged the impact of delays on applicants seeking to start or expand businesses and said she was working with the department to simplify procedures and arrange additional internal support.

Her response did not supply the requested number of outstanding applications or identify how many had been pending for more than six months.

Digital licensing would be introduced in phases during 2027, she said, subject to tendering, development and testing.

The objective was to simplify applications, clarify requirements and improve predictability—not simply transfer existing bureaucracy online.

License conditions, she explained, were determined by law or by the minister where legislation granted that authority, together with applicable policy.

Inspection capacity remains constrained

Heyliger-Marten said four of six economic controller positions were filled, placing staffing at approximately 67%.

Those officers handled more than supermarket price checks. Their responsibilities included business-license compliance, permit conditions, displayed prices, weights and measures, fuel-pump calibration, vending and other economic regulation.

The ministry was moving toward risk-based inspections, prioritizing businesses and practices according to complaints, compliance history and potential consumer harm.

A digital inspection and case-management system was also being pursued to improve follow-up.

The minister did not identify a definite number of additional inspectors who would begin work after the 2027 budget passed.

Cannabis agreement remains confidential

Jansen-Webster questioned why a columnist could discuss details of a cannabis agreement while Parliament had received the document confidentially.

Heyliger-Marten said she could not identify the author’s source, but said her Cabinet had not provided the contract to the author.

She defended the confidential submission as a way for Parliament to scrutinize the agreement while protecting sensitive information and ongoing processes.

The appearance of details elsewhere, she argued, did not remove the obligation to respect confidentiality.

Her response did not announce that the confidentiality restriction would be lifted.

Ambassador program delayed by its design

Heyliger-Marten acknowledged Labega’s concern about the time taken to implement the local tourism ambassador program approved in the 2025 budget.

She said work on participants’ responsibilities, support, contracts, and their connection to tourism niches had taken longer than anticipated.

The program would also create room for people with smaller audiences whose representation of St. Maarten could still have value.

The minister said airport and port support had been secured to help showcase participants, and that arrangements had progressed sufficiently to announce the program “soon.”

She did not provide a launch date.

She also advocated greater involvement by local public-relations firms, photographers, videographers, content creators and other professionals in destination marketing, supported where necessary by training, mentorship and international partnerships.

Discussions with the airport and port included cultural displays, videos, signage, voiceovers and trivia presenting the island’s history, achievements and national figures.

Visitor conduct and Colombian promotion

The minister confirmed work on a visitor code of conduct addressing appropriate public attire, respect for communities and the fact that the tourism destination was also residents’ home.

Information could be distributed through a booklet, digital material and tourism partners.

On the Colombian visitors brought through Wingo’s surprise-destination experience, she acknowledged that no dedicated formal exit survey had been conducted.

She described interviews, testimonials and social-media feedback as positive, while recognizing that those impressions were not a substitute for a formal survey.

Staffing, project costs and preparations

The minister reported continuing recruitment across TEATT, including priority recruitment for the Statistics Department’s head.

Three of six budgeted Statistics Department vacancies had been filled, while two remaining posts would not be filled during 2026. Three Tourism Office positions were in recruitment, and a Civil Aviation and Maritime vacancy had not resulted in an appointment, nor was further recruitment planned for 2026.

A senior policy-adviser position was in recruitment, while a secretary vacancy had not yet been advertised.

For consultancy and project allocations, she cited 50,000 guilders for access-to-finance work, 200,000 guilders for digitization and automation, and 126,000 guilders associated with gambling and lottery reform. She said she would provide further service-level-agreement details.

On capital projects, the minister said preparatory work would advance where reasonably possible before funding, so projects could proceed once financing and approvals were available.

Responding to MP Franklin Meyers’s call for a comprehensive assessment of the country’s financial needs, she agreed that government should cost its ambitions but cautioned against creating another committee before consolidating existing work.

Animal permits remain free during review

Heyliger-Marten said the Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Department, commonly known as LVV, had three of four positions filled.

It processed 2,039 applications in 2025 and 1,781 from January 1 through November 4, 2026, according to its administrative records.

The ministry issued animal movement permits free of charge, generating no fee revenue.

The ministry was reviewing mandates, procedures and service delivery, including whether fees would be appropriate. The ministry had not decided to introduce a fee.

Medical tourism and U.S. preclearance remain ambitions

Heyliger-Marten said the government had no plan to build a medical-tourism hotel near the new hospital, but considered related accommodation a potential private-investment opportunity.

She linked the wider medical-tourism ambition to the hospital's completion, the proposed BIG legislation, specialist capacity and an appropriate regulatory framework.

She also suggested that medicinal cannabis could eventually complement relevant healthcare services where medically appropriate and supported by scientific evidence.

On U.S. preclearance, she said she was unaware of a formal indication that the United States had permanently closed the door on St. Maarten.

TEATT remained supportive of renewed engagement because of the potential benefits for the airport’s hub role and competitiveness. Her answer did not establish that negotiations, U.S. approval, or an implementation agreement were in place.

Across her responses, Heyliger-Marten presented a ministry pursuing economic diversification and broader revenue collection, while acknowledging that major proposals still depended on analysis, staffing, legislation, funding and cooperation with other authorities.